Project(ile)s
eptember 08
FREECOLOGICAL is a new Greenjacker project that collects together simple and inspirational self-build, open source projects that can be attempted by anyone, so what's stopping you?
GO CARSURFING & WIN A BOOK!!!
The Greenjacker is proud to sponsor the 2008 International Carsurfing Championships. This is an open entry competition played anywhere, by anyone, on any day of the year.
Cars are crap. Not only do they kill kids, wreck the environment and cost you a fortune; they also make your arse fat. The Greenjacker recommends that all drivers should seriously consider a carectomy - though SUV drivers might want to make doubly sure and opt for a full lobotomy.
Ever expanding swathes of our towns, cities and countryside are given over to cars (not too mention the ecologically sensitive areas that are destroyed to feed the infernal combustion engine with fossil fuel and now biofuel. But drivers make things even worse by parking on our pavements (sidewalks), cycle paths and pedestrianised areas. All too often mothers with pushchairs are forced into the road because there's no room left for them on the pavement. But cars, like everything else, can be greenjacked - so let's have some fun.
Carsurfing is the art of riding on (or over) the top of cars, but we wouldn't want to recommend anything that might prove dangerous (not to pedestrians at least). So the carsurfing we have in mind targets stationary vehicles that are illegally parked. And so as not to leave out our pedal powered friends we'd like to encourage cyclists to get involved – those little hump shaped cars are just begging to be rode. Send us a photo of your endeavours and you could win a copy of Richard Reynold's wonderful new book, 'On Guerrilla Gardening'. But don't forget to follow the greenjacker's rules...
1.Only stationary, illegally parked vehicles are legitimate targets. Cars that have mounted pavements have technically broken the law (reckless driving) - although the police aren't actually interested in prosecuting these vile criminals. We like to give people the benefit of the doubt so we'd say that if you can't get a pushchair past the car then the driver who parked it there is begging for it. Likewise a car that blocks a bus or bike lane is a prime target.
2. Try not to damage the car (although a few footprints over the bonnet and the roof should be considered poetic justice), criminal damage on an individual level seldom wins hearts and minds. If you want to let the illegal parker know exactly what you think about them leave one of our flyers under their windscreen wiper blade.
3. Don't cheat and park your own car illegally; we'll know!
4. Send your photo to jackie @ greenjacker.org (copy, paste and remove the spaces). If you want to write a brief account of your surf that would be cool. Don't send your address just yet, we'll get in touch with you if you win.
5. Put a copy of our poster up in your neighbourhood to deter illegal parkers.
6. Have fun!
The only good car... 
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